Tapshin, Tapshinawa in Nigeria

Introduction / History

Kusur-Myet Language is used mainly spoken in Plateau and Bauchi States of Nigeria. The language group has a large area covered by the language speakers and other few languages living among them. The people refer themselves as Kusur-Myet and other people address them as Kusur-Myet which is also the name of their language.

What Are Their Lives Like?

They relate peacefully with their close neighbors. Their wives are mostly from the Ngas, Jarawa, and Bijim-speaking communities.

Some men are civil servants, traders, carpenters, and blacksmiths. Most are farmers and herders. They cultivate guinea corn, maize, beans, fonio (acha), onions and tomatoes.

The Kusur-Myet people value their language as their first language and mother tongue. They use their language at home, on their farms, in churches, and in their transactions.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Tajik people are Sunni Muslims who believe that the supreme God, Allah, spoke through his prophet, Mohammed, and taught mankind how to live a righteous life through the Koran and the Hadith. To live a righteous life, you must utter the Shahada (a statement of faith), pray five times a day facing Mecca, fast from sunup to sundown during the month of Ramadan, give alms to the poor, and make a pilgrimage to Mecca if you have the means. Muslims are prohibited from drinking alcohol, eating pork, gambling, stealing, slandering and making idols. They gather for corporate prayer on Friday afternoons at a mosque, their place of worship.PRGRPHThe two main holidays for Sunni Muslims are Eid al Fitr, the breaking of the monthly fast and Eid al Adha, the celebration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son to Allah.PRGRPHSunni religious practices are staid and simple. They believe that Allah has pre-determined our fates; they minimize free will.PRGRPHIn most of the Muslim world, people depend on the spirit world for their daily needs since they regard Allah as too distant. Allah may determine their eternal salvation, but the spirits determine how well we live in our daily lives. For that reason, they must appease the spirits. They often use charms and amulets to help them with spiritual forces.

What Are Their Needs?

These Muslims have been abused by the Russians and they equate the Russians with Christianity. That provides an additional barrier to the gospel.

Prayer Points

Pray for a complete and accurate Bible translation.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to move among the Tapshins in such a way that they look to Jesus for life's answers.
Pray for them to crave spiritual truth so much that they will give up anything to find it.

Text Source:   Joshua Project